There are some little girls that have that twinkle in their eyes... creative little sprites filled with stories; some that they've read and others that they are creating as they observe the world around them. I got to meet one such little girl yesterday.
Her name was Lola Taylor.

As soon as I saw the little girl bounding around the outdoor amphitheater at Park Dale Lane Elementary in Encinitas, I knew it was Lola. She was dressed in a layered jumper with funky prints and had a smile that beamed across the yard.

It wasn't too hard to find her mom, Lauren Taylor. She was the adult version of Lola, happy and full of energy. When I complimented her on her top, she smiled and said, "I made it. We're pretty crafty." Lauren is so crafty that she was able to turn an apron of funky prints into the cute little jumper her daughter was wearing!

Talking to Lauren, it was easy to see how Lola is the artist behind the new Henry's Limited Edition Earth Day reusable shopping bag. Lauren told me that she always tries to point out different artistic styles to her daughters, encouraging them to let their creativity flow. "See that? You can draw in any style."

Lauren recalls, "When Lola came home and said she wanted to enter the Henry's Earth Day contest, I said here... and handed her a few sheets of paper." Lola's first attempt frustrated her, bringing her to tears.

But with her mom's encouragement, Lola tried and tried again. "I told her that artists dont just draw the masterpiece. There's sketching and reworking and that's okay."

Lola eventually created a tree that reminded her of a butterfly-filled tree from the beautifully animated movie, "The Secret of Kells."

Along with having her tree immortalized on the reusable shopping bags, Lola won a Wii Fit prize package for her family and an ice cream party for her class.

But maybe the best prize is one that she gets to share with all of Park Dale Lane Elementary. Henry's donated $1,000 to Lola's school to be used towards the purchase of new books! Lola is a voracious reader and couldn't wait to share some of her favorites with her friends. "As soon as she found out she won, she started listing the books that she wanted to buy for the school," recalls Lauren.